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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25482784">Through the Valley</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenReference/pseuds/HiddenReference'>HiddenReference</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part II - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Ellie kills Abby au, Explicit Language, Hurt No Comfort, No beta we die like illiterates, Other, Sorry Not Sorry, feelings are conflicted, fuck them kids, with a cost cuz yknow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:06:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25482784</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenReference/pseuds/HiddenReference</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellie kills Abby in the theater. What happens next shouldn't surprise you. </p><p> </p><p>or<br/>because I saw no one do this I hope to start the idea</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>when i played as Ellie in those 3 days of Seattle I wanted to beat the shit outta Abby. i was ready to fuck her up. her story aside I understood her but I felt more closer to Ellie. imagine my reaction when I played as Abby in the theater</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She can’t see straight. </p><p>All she knows is Abby looming over her and her fist coming down again and again— Ellie feels the blood pouring down her nose, a headache growing worryingly fast and her broken elbow roaring in pain. She knows she should get up— fight back but she can’t move. Abby’s weight holds her still and Ellie’s good arm is tightly gripped in her hand. </p><p>A feral scream catches her attention as Abby is suddenly thrown off her, Dina she realizes, is on top of Abby with a knife clutched in her right hand swing wildly at her. </p><p>Ellie miraculously manages to roll over onto her stomach, willing herself to. Just. Get. Up. </p><p>Somehow she pushes herself to her feet, which is immediately followed with a sharp pain to the top parts of her shoulder blade. Ellie drops to her knees again and whips her head around to find a head shaved boy standing there with a bow, wide-eyed. </p><p>With a yell, Ellie rips the arrow out and lunges at him. Arrow gripped in her right hand and thrusts it up into the boy's stomach who couldn’t pull his bowstring back in time. </p><p>“LEV!” Ellie hears Abby yell as Dina is thrown off of her. </p><p>Abby grabs the knife Dina had and stabs it into her neck.</p><p>Ellie feels the world slow and her heart stops. </p><p>Ellie faintly hears a roar and suddenly she crashes into Abby sending them wrestling, with Ellie on top. Fighting for control of the knife Abby attempts a downwards stab but Ellie catches it and uses her force to redirect it to the side and stabbing onto the ground. </p><p>She manages to take the knife from Abby’s hands and while Abby tries to push Ellie away and ultimately off of her, Ellie stabs her in that hand. Abby howls in pain but Ellie keeps going. </p><p>She pulls it out and stabs it onto her chest, again and again and Abby catches her off guard and gets enough room to crawl out from underneath her.<br/>
Holding both her hands to her chest didn’t stop the flowing of blood that leaked through Abby’s fingers. She attempts to scurry off but Ellie with the last of her strength and adrenaline stabs her in the side of her neck. </p><p>Abby collapses and Ellie crumbles.</p><p>She’s sobbing loud and hard. Pain overflowing everything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>okay so uh sorry that this took so long. i didnt mean for it to take so long and its cuz I didn't know how to end this. and well I still don't lmao. i might edit this to make it sound more coherent later on (or rewrite).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She’s sat here for who knows how long in the harsh lights of the theater basement when she decides to find a way out.</p><p>She finds a ladder and uses it to get up out of the hole she and Abby fell through. Ellie’s body aches more.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Ellie wants to bring Dina up (and away from Abby’s body) but with her broken elbow, she isn’t sure how yet.</p><p>It’s when she’s covering Jesse’s body she hears shallow breaths and realizes Tommy is still alive, that everything might be okay.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>They stay longer in Seattle then Ellie wants to but with Tommy’s head and leg injury, they have to stay.</p><p>Tommy sleeps the majority of the time because of the injuries and Ellie desperately hides their presence in the theater.</p><p>She never uses the main lights and sticks to candles she’s scavenged instead.</p><p>She finds the open window Abby probably used to get in (she doesn’t remember dropping that ladder down) and blames the fucking power wire and destroys the power generator in anger.</p><p>Later she raises the ladder and pushes random props to block off the window.</p><p>Despite all this Ellie sleeps with eyes wide open.</p><p>At least she managed to pull Dina’s body out of the basement and covers it in a blanket.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Tommy insists they should go knowing the longer they stay the higher the chances of being caught and frankly it’s odd how Ellie has barely seen anyone, WLF or seraphites.</p><p>She worries about Tommy’s head and leg but he reassures he’s fine.</p><p>He helps Ellie wrap Dina and Jesse to the best of their ability with the resources they have and head out for Jackson.</p><p>Ellie doesn’t know what she’ll do at Jackson. She feels like without Dina and Joel it won’t be right.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Everything feels like a dull ache to Ellie so when Tommy asks what happened in the basement Ellie feels that ache turn to pain.</p><p>She knew he’d ask this sooner than later. She’s surprised that he didn’t ask back in Seattle. But it doesn’t hurt less.</p><p>Ellie breaks and can’t find it in herself to say it, knowing Tommy has every right to know.</p><p>Instead, she blows up at him for being careless and letting Abby beat him up again.</p><p>Tommy stays silent throughout her rant and unless it’s necessary, they don’t talk for the rest of the way back.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Ellie dreams constantly of the basement. Both of them in fact. She sees Dina, Joel, over and over again. With Abby getting away alive in some and in others Ellie kills her as Abby laughs and laughs and laughs.</p><p>She thought she’d feel better after killing Abby and sometimes she feels like she has, but a small part of her feels like she made no difference (even if she tries to reason to herself that she killed Dina and Joel’s killer).</p><p>Dina’s body feels heavier when she carries it.</p><p>(she wonders what would happen if things played out differently)<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Of course, they arrive at Jackson.</p><p>The gate guards are rushing to get the gate open and others are rushing to get medics and Maria.</p><p>Some approach them to take what they’re carrying unsure of what it is but eager to help. Tommy hands over Jesse with hesitance and Ellie throws curses at anyone who comes close to her and Dina. Ellie’s knife waving and eyes bloodshot.</p><p>Medics arrive and Maria too. Tommy trying to coax Ellie to hand Dina over, so she can rest with Maria quickly agreeing.</p><p>With shaking arms she does.</p><p>As medics shuffle Tommy and Ellie to Jackson’s infirmary Ellie hears people cry out over the identities of the bodies. Ellie covers her ears.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>The medics fuss over Ellie, telling her not to do any physical activity for weeks to let her body recover. Covering her in gauze and giving her a sling for her elbow.</p><p>Someone (Ellie can’t clearly identify) helps her back to her place. She barely gets her backpack off before collapsing onto the bed.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>The next day Maria shows up to her door and tells her that Dina’s funeral is two days and Jesse’s sometime later that week.</p><p>Ellie nods, eyes trained somewhere else. Maria places her hand on Ellie’s shoulder.</p><p>“If you can’t go that's okay,” She says softly.</p><p>Ellie sniffs hard, still not meeting her eyes.</p><p>“Why aren’t you yelling at me. This is my fault they’re both fucking dead— why are you just letting me—?” Maira cuts Ellie off by forcing her to look her in the eye.</p><p>“You’re right,” she starts her face unreadable, “it wasn’t the best idea but I hope you learned something and—.”</p><p>She doesn’t continue.</p><p>“What’s done is done Ellie,” Maria states.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Sometime after Maria’s visit, Ellie pulls herself together and goes to Joel’s grave.</p><p>She thinks about all the things to say but when she sits down in front of his grave everything planned vanishes.</p><p>She sits in silence in front of the grave staring at the ground.</p><p>“I— I did it Joel. I killed the fuckers who tortured you,” Ellie finds herself speaking.</p><p>She continues, words pouring out of her mouth.</p><p>“But Dina and Jesse died and Tommy’s leg is fucked. Dina was fucking pregnant too— and I— I know it’s my fault— that I’m the reason why they’re gone that everything’s shit.</p><p>I can’t face Jesse’s parents because I know it’s me who should’ve died and— and—!”</p><p>Tears stream down her face.</p><p>“And I feel like nothing inside me has changed.”<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Ellie doesn’t attend the funeral. She can’t handle the looks of pity everyone gives her and the constant ‘i’m sorry for your loss’ spiel as well.</p><p>She drowns herself in drinks at the Tipsy Bison which leads to her crying, drinking more, then blacking out.</p><p>Somehow she wakes up in her own bed with a pounding headache and a stomach about to turn itself inside out. She stumbles to her bathroom and vomits into the toilet. When everything is out she goes to the sink mirror and looks over herself.</p><p>Her eyes seem sunken from the dark bags beneath them and yellow bruises litter her pale face. Ellie runs her hand through her hair to find it uncomfortably oily and it's then she feels the dirtiness of herself really seep in.</p><p>She takes the hottest shower she can; desperate to wash it off.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>At Jesse’s funeral, Ellie stands in the far back. She’s planning on leaving when Jesse’s father, Robin, walks over to her.</p><p>She’s opening and closing her mouth trying to figure out what to say when he closes the distance with a hug.</p><p>“I’m—,”</p><p>“No,” He cuts her off, “I spent hours being mad; cursing you, but I knew he went out there for you out of loyalty, out of love.” He hugs her tighter and Ellie can’t help the guilt that pours down her body.</p><p>He pulls away smiling.</p><p>“I’m sure Jesse pulled you out of something hard yeah?”</p><p>She remembers getting chased by trucks with people shooting at them, then crashing their own stolen truck into a river.</p><p>“Yeah.” Her mouth formed a tight smile.</p><p>(she cowards out about telling them about their grandchild)<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Days later, Tommy shows up at Ellie’s door. Hands hold tupperware and a crutch under his left arm.</p><p>He shuffles awkwardly at the door before doing a small wave and letting out a “hey.”</p><p>“Hey.” Ellie copies back.</p><p>“Can I uh sit?”</p><p>“Oh yeah shit.”</p><p>She steps out of the way letting Tommy waddle in.</p><p>“How’s your leg?” She asks choosing not to sit down.</p><p>“Doc says it’s healin' well, I just gotta take it easy,” He shrugs then nods at her, “how ‘bout you?”</p><p>“Same thing basically: no heavy lifting and stuff.”</p><p>A silence creeps in for a moment before Tommy places the tupperware on the table.</p><p>“Same as last time,” He chuckles, forced, “Maria wants you eating.”</p><p>Ellie smiles, “tell her I said thanks.”</p><p>Before things get too awkward and forced Tommy slaps his legs standing up.</p><p>He walks towards the door as Ellie goes to open the door for him he turns to her and gives her shoulder a good grip.</p><p>“I think you done well,” Tommy drawls quietly, “they would’ve been proud.”</p><p>With that, he walks out leaving Ellie watching him. She shuts the door and leans her head on it.</p><p>Despite what he said she sure doesn’t feel proud.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Weeks later she’d stop doing patrols for the time being (unable to stop shaking at the sight of blood) and had taken up helping at the greenhouses.</p><p>Then Ellie learns there’s a house with a barn some ways from Jackson; it reminds her of Dina’s dream.</p><p>The farmers in Jackson give her some seeds to start a garden and a few sheep to watch over.</p><p>She takes it with thanks and with the insisted help of Maria and Tommy, moves into the farmhouse sooner than later.</p><p>They don’t oppose her on moving away but throughout the moving, they constantly give her looks.</p><p>Ellie hates it.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>Life on the farm is mind-numbingly pleasant.</p><p>Taking care of the sheep, tending the little garden she’s gotten started, and killing infected that stray too close.</p><p>Despite this, a part of her feels empty. She thought the silence would help her ease back into a ‘normal life’ but it doesn’t. She still sees and dreams about them to the point of anger tears and slamming fists.</p><p> </p><p>It’s when she hunts after a boar it hits her. She’s been using a bow since it makes little to no sound and even with the 3 arrows stuck in the boar’s side, it's still running. She’d finally corner the boar in an old abandoned house when it started screaming.</p><p>The boar screamed and squealed, head thrashing and legs kicking. Blood poured freely from all the movement it was making while Ellie stood there motionless.</p><p>She stared at its fearful eyes and couldn’t look away. Even when it flashed to Joel's eyes, Jesse's eyes, then Dina’s eyes.</p><p>She didn’t realize she was running until she vaulted over the gate surrounding her house.</p><p>Rushing up the stairs she collapsed onto the bed, hands squeezing the pillow, trying to get the boar (JoelJesseDina) out of her head; hot tears spilling from her eyes.</p><p>She really fucking hates how unsatisfied she feels.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i didnt play the first game so im not confident on Ellie's mindset i just feel that she'd be unsatisfied and ig confused in this au. she lost basically everything at the end of tlou2 but she did get closure to Joel's death while in this one she got revenge but barely closure. anyways thanks for reading this i really appreciate it</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i wanna hit the same bittersweet notes as the cannon ending which left me at least with half a cup of closure (ill try my best to I'm not the most constant writer). i think why people would be mad that Ellie doesn't kill Abby at the end is because a lot of people have come to see revenge as a justifiable option which is understandable (an eye for an eye). its also important to know these types of stories arent about the player but the character we are growing and playing with. i think it'll fuck her up if she kills Abby and watching the reviews of this game after the dust has settled despite its weird jarring Seattle storytelling i think its a good game.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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